Glasgow

16^th July 2015 – Glasgow

‘Glasgow was Scotland's great industrial center during the 19th century.

Today, the city remains the commercial and cultural capital of the Lowlands.

Lying on the banks of the River Clyde, Glasgow boasts some of the finest Victorian architecture in the entire United Kingdom, including the stately City Chambers.

Elegant Princes Square offers excellent shopping, and among the host of museums and galleries, the Burrell Collection features a superb treasure trove of paintings and art objects.’ –brochure

The ship berthed 0730 at the port of Greenock after winding its way up the River Clyde accompanied by a chorus of squabbling gulls. There’s something about the sound of gulls around British waters, they sound totally different than anywhere else in the world or so it seems to me.

A twenty minute walk through Greenock was needed to reach the train station and then followed a 45minute train ride into Glasgow Central where we wandered around ‘just like tourists’ with our little back packs and cameras. (as with every second person you see).

Glasgow’s history stretches back almost 2,000 years with establishment of a Roman outpost called Cathures. With the advent of Christianity the city grew around a wooden church founded by St. Mungo in the 6^th century. Some 600 years later Glasgow Cathedral was built on the same site.

By the 18^th century many Glaswegian merchants had acquired great wealth by importing sugar, rum and tobacco from America. Even after the tobacco trade declined in the 19^th century the city continued to prosper as a centre for textile manufacturing, the coal and steel industry and ship-building.

Now with the cessation of shipbuilding Glasgow is very much reliant on tourism and it has plenty to offer.

Population in 2013 was almost 600,000.

From the magnificent structure of Central Railway Station we wandered up various streets window shopping and admiring the many grand old buildings until we came across George Square where we verified that every statue has a seagull perched on its head other than the statue of Queen Victoria !!!

Wondering what to do Nancy studied our tourist map and asked if I would like to visit the Buchanan Galleries as she was certain it contained many important works of art including several Monet’s, naturally I was eager.

Walking several blocks we came across Buchanan St that is now a really long street mall full of shoppers tourists and buskers and leads way up-hill to Buchanan Galleries in the distance.

We checked out every shop on both sides of the mall all the way to the Galleries and in one kilt making shop Nancy even bought herself a nice light Cashmere jumper.

After all that we finally arrived at Buchanan Galleries and after ascending several elevators and wandering around like a pair of idiots we finally established Buchanan Galleries was just a shopping centre – No Monet, God I hate shopping.

Time to get a load of our feet and do some people watching we found a nice little sandwich bar and dumped our gear in a corner near a window. I ordered take away coffee while paying for our ready made sandwiches and that confused the old duck behind the counter who promptly asked if we were eating in or taking away, “Eating in I said”. Not telling her take away is bigger and hotter than a cup.

“That will be ninety P extra to eat in”. (Bloody hell $2 to sit at a crummy little table and eat out of a paper bag).

At least I was able to get a haircut for under the equivalent of $20 on the way back through Greenock. I asked for a tidy up and shouldn’t need another cut until this time next year, glad I didn’t asked him to take a lot off.

Townsfolk sent us off with bagpipes and a lot flag waving which was a nice touch.